Vertical feed mixers are known for cutting and mixing hay, forage and other feed ingredients, and for discharging the mixed composition into cattle feed bunks. These prior art vertical feed mixers include a floor and a sidewall defining a mixing chamber with a vertically disposed auger therein. Knife blades are typically mounted on the outer edge of the auger flighting so as to cut hay and forage that is deposited into the chamber from the open upper end. A discharge opening at the lower end of the mixing chamber allows the mixed feed composition to be pushed outwardly by the leading edge of the rotating auger. However, a problem exists in these prior art vertical feed mixers in that portions of the hay or other long grain forage material tend to become stuck between the lower auger flighting and the floor of the mixing chamber. Such stuck portions of material are known as a "plug" and do not become mixed with the other feed materials. Thus, the mixer has a mixing deadspot which is undesirable. If the plug remains stuck in the mixer, the plug material may spoil and contaminate other feed material. Also, the plug occasionally is released into the feed bunk. Depending on the nature of the plug material, such unmixed feed ingredients may be detrimental to feeding animals. Furthermore, if the plug comes loose and is discharged from the mixer, its weight will cause inaccurate feed records for the batch when it is released.
Accordingly, a primary objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved vertical feed mixer for cutting and mixing feed material without plugging.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a vertical feed mixer having one or more flighting plows to direct feed material radially outwardly from the auger mandrel.
Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of a vertical feed mixer having a plurality of flighting plows to prevent plugging of feed material beneath the auger flighting.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved vertical feed mixer which is economical to manufacture and durable and efficient in use.
These and other objectives will become apparent from the following description of the invention.